Friday, March 04, 2016

Leona Maguire struggles to a four-over 75 at

Hilton Head, 5 behind Elizabeth Mallett

By COLIN FARQUHARSONWorld No 1 female amateur Leona Maguire (Duke University) made, by her own high standards, a poorish start to the Darius Rucker Women's Intercollegiate at Long Cove Golf Club, Hilton Head, South Carolina today.The Irish player shot a 75, four over par for the 6,243yd course and will start the second round in a tie for 44th place in a field of 90 players.Maguire bogeyed the second and fourth, birdied the seventh but had her third bogey of the outward half, at the ninth, to turn in two-over 38.She then had a double bogey 6 at the 12th, a birdie at the 14th and a fourth bogey of the round at the 17th for an inward 37.

Elizabeth Mallett (North Carolina), pictured, a third-year student from Sutton Coldfield, outscored Maguire by five shots with a one-under 70 that earned her joint fifth place behind the three joint leaders on four-under 67, Cheyenne Knight (Alabama), Alexandra Farnsworth (Vanderbilt) and Lauren Coughlin (Virginia).Mallett is a former English girls champion and past beaten finalist in the British girls championship.Defending champions Duke have given most of the field a start in the team event, ending the first day in 10th place with only seven teams behind them.Duke are on 299, 21 shots behind first-round leadfers Alabama (278) with Virginia (281), Vanderbilt (282), Arkansas (289) and North Carolina (289) next in line.